Feral Grin
by AJigsaw
Summary: "You've changed over these five years, and we've changed with you. Wonderland isn't Wonderland anymore Alice, there might not be anything to save this time."
1. Hysteria

"_Alice… What have you done to Wonderland… To me? _

_Come back Alice. Come home. Please."_

Sun shone through the opened windows, particles of dust drifting through them along with the crispy fresh smell of a bright new day. And what a lovely day it was for 23 year old Alice Liddell, what a lovely day indeed. Five years after the mishap with Wonderland she erased it from her mind, lavishing in its thought, but having much more important matters to attend to. After getting a job Alice moved to London; nice people, clean streets, and not a fragmented mind for miles. It really was a splendid place. The brown haired girl couldn't think of a better place, and definitely not a better man to share it with.

Bryson King, a tall, blond haired man with big hazel eyes and a muscular frame that shadowed her own smaller one. They had met just a couple months after her move, blatantly running into each other, of all the ways to meet. For an apology he had invited her over for tea and cake, and you know what the doctor said, never turn down cake. Alice accepted and after a lovely night of tea, laughter, dancing and a small kiss, she deemed this new feeling love.

Luck, she had called it. Fate, he had said. Almost two years with the minimal of fights and arguments. He always made up for it anyways; Alice thought she had struck gold. He visited her at work everyday and even brought her lunch! What a thoughtful man he was. But then, without a broken mind to see through lies, you start believing them.

Alice sighed, leaning her back against the closed door to her apartment, hating the curling of her toes in her too tight heels and the bend the bow in her hair created along her neck. Sliding down the length of the white door, she unclasped the wretched shoes and immersing in the thought of chucking them out the window. Giving her luxurious apartment one more sigh she stood, socks almost slipping on the polished wooden flooring, and pulled the bow out of her hair. Tossing her things on the couch Alice made way for the kitchen, hunger clawing slowly at her insides.

Bringing a cup of tea and a small dish of crackers to the living room, she slowly sat down, taking note of the room's emptiness. _'Bryson is always home by the time I get here, where on earth could he be?' _

Alice took a small sip of her honey chamomile flavored tea, debating on whether to go visit his workplace out of curiosity. With another sip, she decided against the action. _"He could just be running late, or possibly he was made to stay for extra work. How unfortunate, I wanted to go see a show tonight."_

"_Alice…"_

The girl hopped up at the whispering voice, tea crashing to the floor and crackers scattering everywhere from their place on her lap. Her hand instinctively went to her side to summon the Vorpal Blade; even five years later and it was still her first reaction. Alice relaxed and looked down towards her mess, shaking her head. Her imagination was tricking her, and she did not find the mischievous thing funny. Not one bit. Alice gave the empty room her third sigh that day and leaned down to clean the crackers from the floor.

"_Alice…please."_

Crackers fell to the floor once more as Alice shot up, running towards the kitchen for a knife. It was not her imagination, she had heard it loud and clear that time. Alice clutched the butcher knife by her side, pacing threateningly through the room to find whatever was making the noise. For a moment she wondered how strange she looked, prancing around her empty living room to find some seemingly invisible man. With that thought her arm dropped to her side and she gave a small smile, feeling embarrassed. Her past was supposed to be her past, not her present or her future. Wonderland was gone. The Red Queen, The Mad Hatter, White Rabbit, they were all gone. Even that wretched, reoccurring cat, of which she'd never admit she missed terribly, was gone.

Setting the knife on the table she retrieved a damp wash cloth from the kitchen to clean up her spilled tea. A far away thump and whisper would have interested her, had she not been so immersed in soaking up the chamomile drink. The brunette stood, dusting crumbs off her dress and retrieving the cracker dish. Alice looked towards the door, behind which she had just heard speaking, whispering; quiet and suspicious. Alice cocked her head to the side, turning towards it to get a better hear.

"_Alice… RUN."_

Broken pieces of her porcelain dish and crackers scattered the floor. Grabbing the knife she ran to the window in a panic, pushing it open to reveal the fire escape. Suddenly arms grabbed her, pulling her back inside to what she assumed to be her demise. Two men wrenched the knife from her hands and held her down, two others proceeding to ravage her home and her belongings. "Get away from me you bigots! Urgh, let me go!" Alice screamed insults at them, struggling at the larger arms that kept her from tearing the four men apart.

"Shut up! How did you know we were coming girl?" A deep voice said with a tug of her hair, Alice whipped around to give the man a glare. "Luck, you piece of filth. Ack, uh!" Alice coughed, tasting blood on her tongue from the force of the kick to her abdomen. "Didn't I say shut it? We don't want to have to hurt a little lady, right boys?" Murmurs of agreement rippled through the group of men, some slightly unsettled by the inhuman glare of the girl they had pinned down.

"What are you men looking for?" Alice asked them, "I have nothing of any value."

"Oh, but my dear Alice, you are what is of value." A new voice said, a very unfortunately familiar one as well. Alice hung her head, not believing it to be true. She had trusted him, she let him into her life and fell in love with him. She trusted him. She TRUSTED him. Alice looked up into hazel eyes, her own green ones swarming with betrayal and confusion. "Bryson, why? What do you want? Why have you done this to us, to _me_?"

"I want your head Alice. But to do so I need a key. A very special one, can you help me find it?" Bryson kneeled down in front of her, his eyes showing love and compassion, both of which she knew now were lies. Alice glared at him, willing him to catch on fire with every fiber of her being. "I don't have any keys to chopping off my head, _Bryson_. I'm sure you know your way around here well enough to find whatever one you're searching for anyway." She stated, turning her head away from him with an angry huff.

"Now, now Alice, don't be spiteful towards me. I still love you, you're just confused as to which way." The blond man stood, looking around for whatever key he had been speaking of.

"I'm sorry, but I do not know as to what key you are referring. Either kindly cut my head off or leave." Alice said, her eyes following his every move as he made his way to a hanging picture on the wall.

"Oh Alice, I don't want to cut off your head, I just want what's inside it." Bryson said as he walked into her bedroom, her temper flared just thinking about what he was doing in there with her things. "And what would that be?" The brunette called out, kicking the man to her left in the leg and getting no reaction. "Come on love, that would spoil the surprise. My my, here it is. I found it boys!"

Alice stared at the man that now stood before her, a disbelieving look in her eyes and her mouth hanging slightly open. Her necklace? Of all things he wanted, it was her Omega necklace? "You have got to be joking me. I... I don't understand." Alice shook her head, trying one more time to escape.

A smile swept across his face and he tilted her chin towards him, spinning her butcher knife in his other hand. Resting the blade tip on her forehead, he smiled sweetly, his hazel eyes laced with poison. "Alice, it's your mind I want. Your Wonderland."

"My… Wonderland?" Alice's mouth gaped, her eyes getting larger with every moment his mocking smile stayed in her view.

"Yes Alice. I want your Wonderland, and with this key, it's exactly what I'm going to get."

"But… why?"

"Because I find it utterly and absolutely fascinating; what a fine specimen you were. I was a researcher under Doctor Bumby years ago; I never met you, only saw you once when you were hypnotized on his couch." Alice's eye darkened at the mention of the evil man, her memories and anger flooding back with waves of emotion. Bryson kept going, his face brightening happily at each passing word of admiration.

"I read all the files, heard the stories, memorized every character, every personality trait. I know you, Alice, and your Wonderland, better than you yourself, the creator. And just because of that, I can rule them all." Bryson said, shocking Alice out of her angry stupor.

"In all honesty Mr. King, you really know nothing. They aren't my childhood creations anymore. They've evolved into their own beings, you cannot control them!" Alice stated, worry making itself known in her voice. "Oh, but I can! It's quite easy you see, with you and the Omega key I can control whatever goes on in your head. I will be the real king, the dictator, mayor, maker, cleanser. I will cleanse your head of unclean thoughts, and make it into a perfect world." Bryson smiled widely and stood, ordering two of his henchmen to retrieve salt, chalk, and wine from the kitchen.

"Get your own Wonderland! My friends, my family, my soul lives there! I won't let you corrupt it!" Alice threw her head to the side, smashing the nose of the man holding her left arm. Pulling out of the other's shocked grip, she ran towards the kitchen, ducking under awaiting hands and making for the knife drawer.

Spinning around to face them with a shining blade in her hand, Alice glare them all down, murder glinting in her eyes. The three men surrounding her all glanced back at their leader, looking unsure whether to go after the woman. Receiving a look of utter disappointment and anger, they suppressed a shiver and turned to capture Alice.

Who was no longer anywhere in sight.

'_You have to go faster Alice, faster!'_ The brunette thought to herself, heart beating wildly in her chest. She jumped from the fire escape, landing on the cement below. Covering her fear, Alice turned and ran down the alley, ignoring the cold biting at her face and the sharp rocks under her stockings. She needed to get somewhere safe, or at least free of these fiends.

'_Bryson, how could you do this to me? I don't want to be betrayed anymore, why does this keep happening?' _Tears streamed down her face, causing more than one bystander to stop and stare at the girl who was running past them. Hiding in a far away alley, Alice calmed herself, trying to force her heart to slow down to a more natural beat. '_Where am I even going?'_ Shivering, the brunette pulled her bare knees to her chest and hung her head, feeling the cold bite of betrayal nipping at her heart.

'_Alice...'_

Lifting her head, Alice looked around for the voice that seemed to come from every angle. Wiping away her tears Alice stood, rubbing circulation back into her arms as she searched for the familiar voice. "Where are you?"

'_Alice, please go.'_

"Where do I go? Who are you, what do you want from me?" Alice called out, hoping the voice that had tried to help her would reply.

'_Run.'_

Immediately Alice complied, knowing that shock and confusion had stopped her from escaping last time. Even so, she found herself trapped between two large men blocking her route to the crowded street, both making a grab for her arms. "No, let go of me! Someone hel-mff!" Silence was gifted upon the henchmen as Bryson covered her mouth with a hand.

"No no no, shhhh. My dear Alice, can't be too loud now; don't want everyone in London to hear you, do we?" The irritating smirk that graced his shamefully attractive features grated Alice's nerves to no end. How horrid for such a beautiful face to be tainted by a wretched personality! "You can fight me all you want Alice, I'm going to have your Wonderland whether you like it or not. There's really nothing you can do, so why not just become Queen by my side?" The blond smiled, brushing a tuft of hair out of his face as he let his hand drop from her mouth.

Alice glared daggers at the traitor, summing up a large wad of spittle in her mouth. It landed on the man's face with a sickening tap, bringing a smile to the brunettes face. "Queen? Don't make me laugh. I'd rather swallow razors than be queen to the likes of you."

Alice's smile only grew broader as she saw the man's eyebrow twitch in irritation. He said nothing, simply taking out a cloth and wiping the reddish spit away. "You have no choice in the matter, Alice." Bryson said, breaking the silence that had cast over them. "If you will not be my queen, then you will sit in the dungeon, only to be brought out when another one of your precious playtime pals are executed." Alice gave him another glare, the smile washed off her face. It only irritated her more when he popped the P's with his lips, turning his nose up in disgust at her family.

Anger boiled in her veins, wanting nothing but to smash the man's face in with the Hobby Horse. And then sadness smothered her, aching her bones and breaking her spirit like glass. She didn't have the Hobby Horse anymore… because she left Wonderland and never came back. She hadn't been there for years, five to be exact; she didn't even know if it existed anymore, or what state it was in.

Alice sunk to her knees, taking all of the information in and fuming silently with every detail. The two men let her go, seeing no threat in letting her drown in her own despair. She left them to die. Just like she had to her real family in the house fire. _'No, please. No.' _The Hatter, Rabbit, Carpenter and Walrus. Cheshire... She left them all to die, too busy in her own world to give them a second thought. Finally the tears came, dragging dark makeup down her pale face to soak the blouse her head hung in. Her world, her family, her safe haven. It was all destroyed, all by her own hand.

"Ahem. Alice. You can still help me and become my queen. I might even spare some of you friends to use as jesters, waiters… Or something." Bryson eyed her, growing increasingly uncomfortable with the amount of tears staining her knees.

"You… you can't have Wonderland. It's gone. It doesn't exist anymore, I've… I've abandoned it." Hazel eyes widened at the proclamation, panic rising into his chest. '_Impossible.' _Bryson thought. _'She couldn't have destroyed Wonderland. What am I to do then? Rot in this boring wasteland? No. She hasn't destroyed it. The Omega necklace wouldn't be here if she had.'_

A laugh rang through the alley, startling Alice. Teary emerald green eyes met bright happy hazel ones, only bringing rage back into Alice. "What do you find so funny! I've lost my family, once again. This is no time for cheer!"

The blond tsked, his smile clawing away Alice's mind and filling it with nothing but guilt and rage. "Alice I can still get there. You cannot trick me, I will fix Wonderland. We will all escape there together. I will be King. My men will be rich beyond their wildest dreams. And you, Alice... Well, you can watch your 'family' as you call it, suffer." The traitor hissed the last word out, his breath dragging across Alice's face.

Alice blinked, vowing deep inside to protect and save her family this time as she felt the last string of control she had left break. With the last string of sanity missing, flowing through her veins was not blood, but utter _hysteria_.


	2. Wonderland

"_Oh, and if you're wondering, he went... that way."_

"_Who did?"_

_"The white rabbit."_

"_He did?"_

"_He did what?"_

"_Went that way."_

"_Who?"_

"_The white rabbit."_

"_What rabbit?"_

"…"

* * *

><p>'<em>Alice… Wake up.'<em>

Green eyes snapped open and straight back shut when exposed to the bright lighting. She hadn't been expecting a bright blue sky to greet her as she woke. Hell, last she remembered there was a tarp above her, having been laid across the alley opening. Rubbing her eyes, Alice peered around her. Greenery lay in front of her, accompanied by purple flowers and a small stream. Turning around, she saw a complete drop off with nothing but sky.

Her brown hair rustled in the wind as Alice stood. Trying to ignore the dread filling her gut, she stepped carefully towards the stones in the stream and looked at her own reflection. Her brown hair was perfectly parted and straight, her thin figure covered with a knee length blue dress and a blood spattered white pinafore. Alice shook her head and kicked a stone in anger, her black boots protecting her previously bare feet.

Wonderland, the Vale of Tears to be exact; it was precisely where Bryson had wanted to go, and now he was here. Or… was he? Alice turned in a full circle, seeing no one accompanying her. Of course, if the past repeats itself, then this is all a hallucination. Alice smiled at the trees around her. She was back in Wonderland, and from what she could see, it looked quite well. Alice felt a shock run through her. Wait, this wasn't right, where was the cat? He always greeted her with a string of riddles when she arrived in Wonderland

"Cheshire?"

Not a sound greeted her as she called out the grinning cat's name repeatedly. Soon enough curiosity gripped Alice with their icy hands and she stepped towards the forest. Her feet guided her, already knowing where to step while her eyes trailed over the trees. She stepped over sticks and logs, refusing to make a noise until she knew the intent of Wonderland and its inhabitants. It broke her heart to think that they would be hostile towards her, but she DID leave them to die for five years. Alice scolded herself; it wasn't polite to think low of others, especially your family.

Soon enough Alice came to a familiar fork in the road. Between the two parting roads lay a fallen tree filled with past memories. The brown haired girl closed her eyes, forcing back tears that threatened to spill. Alice Liddell would NOT cry for the tree. She tried to imagine it standing proud in its place with Cheshire cat sitting upon it, confusing any unfortunate travelers that came further than intended into the dark forest.

Alice sniffed and walked along it, running her fingers along the wide trunk. The three signs at the middle read Mad Hatter, Yonder, and Up. Her pink lips turned up in a smile as she headed down the road leading to Hatter's Domain. Hatter would have answers; hopefully he hadn't suffered the same fate as that poor tree. Alice started up the trail, determination powering her every move. This was HER mind, HER family and HER Wonderland. Not anyone elses, especially not someone who toyed with her heart and betrayed her trust. No. She was going to kill him. Stab him for every lie he told her and cut him to pieces with every ability she had. Bryson could act as tough as he wanted in the real world, but in Wonderland, Alice was the hunter.

A smile graced her features when she saw the cliff edge up ahead, almost there, she'd be able to see Hatter's Domain from the top. Alice broke into a run, sprinting the rest of the way up. Once there, the smile fell from her face and she stared wide eyes at the broken carnage that used to be Hatter's Domain. The mansion like building was obviously evacuated, having been abandoned long ago most likely. Putrid smog hovered around the rusty machines, but the old worn clock tower was still ticking away as Hatter had made it to do. Alice bit her lip, forcing herself to not cry, she had to stay strong and keep a clear mind. If she backtracked for a bit, she would easily find the land of the Snow Globes. Nodding to herself, she turned away from the ugly sight, trying to keep her head high and thoughts cleared of horrible possibilities.

Suddenly a snap echoed through the forest and Alice froze, trying to calculate which direction it came from. Another twig snapping sounded out and a shock wave of fear vibrated through her. The blue clad girl threw her hand to her side, trying with all her might to summon the Vorpal Blade. Another snap came closer and Alice abandoned the idea of fight and instead chose flight, fleeing through the forest. The brown haired girl jumped quickly over a log, misplacing her step at the last moment and tripping over a bundle of white that appeared in front of her feet.

"EEK!"

Now, I don't think it needs to be pointed out, but when your face hits the ground so suddenly and quickly, the noise it makes isn't nearly as bad as the soreness that comes with it. Alice spat out pieces of earth and slowly stood up, brushing grit off her dress and thankful it wasn't as dirty as her mouth. The blue clad girl turned to her trip hazard and immediately felt her day get a little brighter.

"White Rabbit!"

At his name, the furry animal squinted up at her and ruffled his pink little nose. Alice gave his confused look a frown and noticed his fragile glasses lying on the forest floor. She smiled and pet his nose carefully, sliding his glasses back up his furry nose. Rabbit's face lit up when his eyesight cleared and her smiling face appeared before him. He pulled her legs into a death grip hug and laughed loudly. "ALICE! Oh Alice I've missed you so much, I haven't seen you in years!"

"I've missed you too Rabbit, how have you been all this time?"

With that Rabbit retracted his arms, bringing them down to nervously fiddle with his vest. His smile had vanished and in it's place was a sorrowful frown. "Not well Alice. Nothing has been well since you left, everything has just, just…"

"I'm so sorry Rabbit," Alice frowned, "I know I've made a terrible mistake and I'm very regretful, but Wonderland could be in danger again. I need help, where is everyone?"

"Oh Alice, everything has gone to ruins! Everyone has changed Alice, you won't recognize Wonderland anymore, let alone the things living in it."

Alice kneeled down to him and ran her hand along the fur on his arm comfortingly. "What do you mean Rabbit?" He shook his head and put his paws on her hands. "You've grown Alice, you've changed in the five years you've been gone, and we've changed with you."

Rabbit laughed at the confused look she gave him. "I won't change Alice; no matter how old you grow, I'll always be your stuffed rabbit."

They both smiled at each other, enjoying the long lost company that both had missed dearly. At that moment, Alice noticed something terribly wrong. "Rabbit, what happened to your face?" Gently she ran a finger down a long ragged scar along his cheekbone; the tip of the peach colored cut just barely touched the outer side of his left eye.

"Oh they're will be time for that later Alice," Rabbit grinned. "It's high time we get you some weapons, hmm?" Alice gave him a determined grin and followed his footsteps through the forest. Thoughts seemed to flow through her head at their conversation. _'Changed? Who and what has changed? I don't understand, maybe when I find Hatter and Cheshire they can explain things better. If Bryson is here, I'm sure he'll head for Queensland first.' _Alice felt around her neck for the Omega necklace and wasn't surprised that it was missing. _'He must be here, or else my necklace would be back in its place, right? No, no. It's impossible to enter someone's mind. Right?' _

Alice was snapped out of her reverie by the sound of pebbles crunching under her feet. The grass had turned to rocks, and the green trees to stone statues. The pair walked along the eroded trail in silence and Alice was becoming increasingly nervous with each step. "Rabbit," she started nervously, "What is this place? I've never been here before."

"This is a memorial we created after the War."

The emerald eyed girl gasped, "War? I didn't know there was a war! How could a war go on inside my head without my knowing?"

"It was when you were skeptical about whether to trust that man or not. We all chose sides, some against our will. Those that trusted him and those that didn't. Some of us… didn't make it through." Rabbit turned to see Alice's face twist in horror and he could almost hear the anxiety in her voice. "Oh my goodness, Rabbit, your scar. I didn't know… I mean, I didn't want…"

"It's alright Alice. In the end we are only thoughts and memories. We will be erased sometime, I'm just sad that some of us were destroyed so morbidly."

Rabbit came to a stop outside an open circle. Surrounding it were large boulders stacked on top of one another in different patterns, some even had markings etched into them, different symbols with unknown meanings. Towards the middle of the circle was a stone tablet with a poem scratched onto it, reading:

Twas bryllyg, and ye slythy toves

Did gyre and gymble in ye wabe:

All mimsy were ye borogoves;

And ye mome raths outgrabe.

At the peak of the tablet was the shiny form of a large butcher knife, its blade stuck in the stone. Making her way up the tall rock structure, she smiled at her reflection in the silver. Seeing its bloodstained design was comforting as she pulled it from its resting spot. The Vorpal Blade was cool in her palm and definitely made her feel much better than before. This. She could fight with this. Wonderland could be defended, and she would fight to her death for it.

"Alice?"

She turned at her name and a smile spread across her lips at seeing White Rabbit with her Hobby Horse and Pepper Grinder. When she equipped them, the furry figure clutched her hand tight and shook it reassuringly before finally letting go. Rabbit stepped a ways away to let Alice look at the new possession in her palm.

"A Demon Dice?"

Rabbit nodded at her and smiled brightly. "One of the last. Please keep it safe Alice."

"I… I will." Alice held it to her chest, and felt her heart drop when Rabbit bounded away. "Wait! Rabbit! Where are you going?"

"To the Oriental Grove, of course." Rabbit called back at her, pointing east. "I must inform Caterpillar of your arrival. Please wait for me!"

"Wait, Rabbit! Who were on… which… sides…?"

His fuzzy body quickly disappeared into the brush before he was available to answer any questions she had. Alice sighed to the now empty structure, slipping the Demon Dice into her apron pocket. "I'm sorry Rabbit, but I must find my family now. Good luck with Caterpillar." With that she turned and headed for Tundraful. Carpenter, crazy as he was, would have some idea as to what to do now.

* * *

><p>Tundraful wasn't her favorite place in Wonderland, no. It lacked in more ways than one. The Deluded Depths were lovely and had unexpected beauty, but the only thing Tundraful had was an angry Yeti, frozen racers and an unlimited supply of icy pathways.<p>

"Ack!" Alice growled and cursed under her breath as she slipped for the umpteenth time on the cold ice. She was almost to the boat. Or at least, where the boat was supposed to be. It hadn't crossed her mind that she was falling hard on her bottom for nothing, but then again, she tried not to think about that either.

"Wretched, bloody, irritating ice. Not helpful in the least bit." The green eyes beauty mumbled to herself as she struggled for footing. She ignored the nagging at the back of her mind, telling her that if there was no boat, she would be going through hell trying to get back up the icy hillsides.

"I'd rather be in hell than in this frozen WASTELAND!" Alice screamed the last word out and watched with mild amusement as her breath fogged in front of her. For a moment she wondered how strange she looked, yelling at ice in the middle of nowhere. All the same, it helped ease her frustration, if only just a bit. Tundraful WAS a barren wasteland; that much was true. Sure, the air smelled fresh and cold, and when she wasn't slipping on ice the crunch of the crisp snow was reassuring, but the place was spotted with broken ships and icebergs. Icebergs filled with people and animals, frozen in time. Alice had to stop herself from snorting when she passed by an iced Yeti, its mouth hanging open in a permanent roar.

Alice squealed and slipped, cursing whatever horrible luck had been cast upon her as she slid down an icy hill and slamming into a rock. She groaned and leant against it for support while her shoulder and legs throbbed. She wanted to get up, she wanted to move and go find Carpenter and the Walrus, but her body demanded rest after her hike. Emerald green eyes slipped shut, embracing the comforting darkness of sleep.

* * *

><p>Another chapter, another day. My thanks go out to the ones that favorited, alerted, and reviewed! Makes me feel much more confident going in this, so thank you again.<p> 


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